Thanksgiving in California

I haven't written in a while because, frankly, that hasn't been much to report on the adoption front.  Right now we are in a waiting game.  We are waiting for a birth mother to look at our profile and request to learn more about us and maybe start communication. The adoption agency has pretty much gone silent on us.  They don't want to tell us each time a birthmother requests our profiles.  If they did, we could feel discouraged.  For example, if 5 birthmothers request our information in a month but no one ends up choosing us, if our agency lets us know each time we would have an emotional roller coaster and could start to question "what's wrong with us? Why won't anyone pick us?" Especially if we know people are viewing our information.  I personally think Gabe and I have a good grasp on the process and could control our emotions, but it's what our agency sees as the best way.

So that's our quick adoption update.  Let me know update everyone on the rest of our life:

Gabe has been at Camp Pendleton for the last 5 weeks for an advanced machine gun leaders course.  He started the end of October.  He says it is the hardest thing he has ever had to do.  Harder than bootcamp, worse than his initial infantry training class.  But the only good thing to come out of the class was a 4 day weekend for Thanksgiving.  So I made plans to fly out. It worked out really well.  I knew the area since we had lived there for a year after we were first married, so I felt comfortable renting a car on my own and finding my way around.  We had a great long weekend.  It was very relaxing and almost seemed like a mini honeymoon (baby-moon maybe??) because we had no schedule and did what we wanted, when we wanted. We spent thanksgiving with a a family that used to live in Colorado and went to Gabe's parent's home bible study. The matriarch was almost like a second mom to Gabe.  And the funny thing is, Gabe's sister married her son.  So I spent Thanksgiving with my sister-in-law's in-laws.  We had a great time and it was such a blessing to be welcomed into someone's home for the holidays.

Thanksgiving 2013

Aside from Thanksgiving, we went to see a movie, ate at some of our old favorite places, and Gabe and I went to the Melting Pot and had a 4 course fondue experience.  It was my birthday, our anniversary (both which Gabe had missed), as well as a nice meal before Gabe deploys.  He called ahead of time, and we had an intimate corner booth with candles and rose petals.  He's a keeper!

Our table: I couldn't get the whole table, so this photo doesn't do it justice.

A funny story to leave you with.  I flew into San Diego about noon and got to our hotel on base (which was extremely impressive) where I waited for Gabe to tell me he was off for the weekend.  He texted me and told me he would be off in an hour and a half.  So I waited an hour, then drove to pick him up which took about half and hour.  I texted him letting him know I was sitting in the car.  Let me paint a picture: His class is at the military SOI school.  This is where ALL infantrymen got after bootcamp for a 3 month training that is more focused than bootcamp.  So it's lots of young guys wandering around in uniforms, all super modo and recently indoctrinated. There aren't girls around.  So I decided to stay in the car.  So I waited...and waited...and waited.  3 hours later....Gabe shows up, but he hasn't packed.  Apparently plans changed and they just had a spontaneous lecture.  So I wait a bit more while he packs.  Ok, punchline: After Gabe packed, he saw "my" car with the trunk open.  So he threw his bags in the trunk, shut the trunk, and jumped in the passenger seat.  He turned to the driver and say "Hey honey....?"  Yeah, it wasn't me.  Gabe thought I had been a sweetie and moved the car closer to him and opened the trunk for him. Well, Gabe profusely apologized to the poor lady whose passenger seat he had hijacked, and had to ask her to re-open the trunk for him!  Apparently someone else drove the same car, color and all. So the joke the whole weekend was he had better not get tired of me and get in a car with some other girl.

Gabe graduated from his course yesterday.  #2 in his class!! Yes, I'm bragging on him because he would never do it himself. I'm so proud of him for sticking it out when others failed and were cut from the class.  He had to hike Pendleton mountains with the massive weight of added gear and weapons.  He had to hand write a 72 page defense strategy (at least I think that's what it was).  He had to camp outside with a horrible cold with no access to medicine for a week. All while having to deal with others' stupidity along the way.  That type of dedication, discipline, and hard work is what I am thankful for this year.  With traits like that, I know I have the perfect partner for me to complete not only this adoption process, but the remaining years of my life.